Ash76
Junior Member
Few nights ago, it was the 9th congregational Taraweeh Salah at the local Masjid. With the long duration of Sawm (Fasting) in this sweltering summer month (which was unusually hot even for UK standards), the body and limbs had just about come to terms with no longer whinging of its usual weariness having undergone another nightly dose of an hours or so worth of repetitive motions of Qiyam, Ruku, Sajdah, etc … well not as loud as they used to anyway when Ramadhan 1433 AH/ 2012 AD had first started.
After the completion of another block of 4 Rakats, followed by the customary short break and then the manoeuvring forward of worshippers (well the eager ones anyway!) into new spaces in the rows in front, vacated by individuals dispersing for what I can only think of being a toilet, drink or wudhu break, I found myself being slightly annoyed that the brother who had glided in so swiftly into the empty space next to my left was literarily standing partially on the side of my foot when commencing his Salah. OK…. I have heard of straightening the rows and joining the feet for the purpose of unity but this I felt this was a bit extreme to say the least and taking into the next level. Boy, was I not happy… MY personal praying space, MY sanctuary had just been invaded and violated.
”Allahu-Akbar”, the call was made by the Imam to proceed to the Ruku position and so we did. My eyes momentarily deviated from the usual fix stare position into noticing that the brother I was begrudging had in fact a deformity in his right foot, this graduated into a slight twisting on the leg above. The only part of his feet that was touching the ground was the toes, whilst the rest of the foot was suspended uncomfortably in mid-air. Realising this, my heart plunged like a heavy weighted iron anchor that had just been thrown off a boat into the deepest part of the sea, with a great feeling of regret and remorse. How dare could I have the nerve and audacity to begrudge this brother, for my temporary inconvenience, who I’m guessing through no fault of his own has been decreed with this lifetime disability? In this moment, my annoyance subsided and had been transformed into complete humbleness. My heart had just been softened by Allah to the extent that I no longer minded being stepped on by the brother. In fact I think I did everything to make sure thereafter I stood next to the brother so he could continue to step on my foot in the hope that when Allah was looking down on this servant with His Merciful Gaze, He caught a glimpse of me too. Soon after, another few spaces vacated in front of us and this brother moved like lighting (Buraq came to mind) and with so much eagerness that He left me for dead in my wake as I lumbered behind him. Contemplation: It’s amazing how when Allah puts a physical limitation on someone’s ability, He makes them adjust accordingly and compensate for their deficiencies in other ways.
Observing this brother’s posture thereafter when standing in Qiyam, the swiftness of his movements in Salah and the expectation in the firmness of his Ameen (after Fatiha), this was his physical testification of the Qur’anic Verse “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him) the Book (the Qur'an), and has not placed therein any crookedness – Surah Al-Kahf (18:1). Indeed there was no crookedness in the manner this servant of Allah was performing his Salah in spite of his physical disability. I found it difficult to keep a dry eye for the remainder of the time this brother stood next to me in Salah, which I think was another 4 Rakats before He ghosted into a vacant space in the row in front.
The verse of Surah Ar-Rahman “Which is it, of the favours of your Lord, that ye deny ?” repeatedly came in to my mind during this experience and I have been thinking “Why?” The fact that this memorable verse is mentioned 31 times (out of 78) in the Surah, I think was a reminder to me that even though I was not aware of being consciously in denial of any known blessings (big or small) that Allah had bestowed upon me upon asking, acknowledgement of Allah’s favours upon us go far beyond this. Surely nor thanking Allah continuously, every day, in every moment possible for the everyday blessings that we often take for granted (i.e. for having a healthy body, being given the gift of Islam and Imaan, having clean water on tap, having a roof over our heads, having the privilege of being the Ummati of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, etc) was also subconsciously denying the favours of Allah?
After the completion of another block of 4 Rakats, followed by the customary short break and then the manoeuvring forward of worshippers (well the eager ones anyway!) into new spaces in the rows in front, vacated by individuals dispersing for what I can only think of being a toilet, drink or wudhu break, I found myself being slightly annoyed that the brother who had glided in so swiftly into the empty space next to my left was literarily standing partially on the side of my foot when commencing his Salah. OK…. I have heard of straightening the rows and joining the feet for the purpose of unity but this I felt this was a bit extreme to say the least and taking into the next level. Boy, was I not happy… MY personal praying space, MY sanctuary had just been invaded and violated.
”Allahu-Akbar”, the call was made by the Imam to proceed to the Ruku position and so we did. My eyes momentarily deviated from the usual fix stare position into noticing that the brother I was begrudging had in fact a deformity in his right foot, this graduated into a slight twisting on the leg above. The only part of his feet that was touching the ground was the toes, whilst the rest of the foot was suspended uncomfortably in mid-air. Realising this, my heart plunged like a heavy weighted iron anchor that had just been thrown off a boat into the deepest part of the sea, with a great feeling of regret and remorse. How dare could I have the nerve and audacity to begrudge this brother, for my temporary inconvenience, who I’m guessing through no fault of his own has been decreed with this lifetime disability? In this moment, my annoyance subsided and had been transformed into complete humbleness. My heart had just been softened by Allah to the extent that I no longer minded being stepped on by the brother. In fact I think I did everything to make sure thereafter I stood next to the brother so he could continue to step on my foot in the hope that when Allah was looking down on this servant with His Merciful Gaze, He caught a glimpse of me too. Soon after, another few spaces vacated in front of us and this brother moved like lighting (Buraq came to mind) and with so much eagerness that He left me for dead in my wake as I lumbered behind him. Contemplation: It’s amazing how when Allah puts a physical limitation on someone’s ability, He makes them adjust accordingly and compensate for their deficiencies in other ways.
Observing this brother’s posture thereafter when standing in Qiyam, the swiftness of his movements in Salah and the expectation in the firmness of his Ameen (after Fatiha), this was his physical testification of the Qur’anic Verse “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him) the Book (the Qur'an), and has not placed therein any crookedness – Surah Al-Kahf (18:1). Indeed there was no crookedness in the manner this servant of Allah was performing his Salah in spite of his physical disability. I found it difficult to keep a dry eye for the remainder of the time this brother stood next to me in Salah, which I think was another 4 Rakats before He ghosted into a vacant space in the row in front.
The verse of Surah Ar-Rahman “Which is it, of the favours of your Lord, that ye deny ?” repeatedly came in to my mind during this experience and I have been thinking “Why?” The fact that this memorable verse is mentioned 31 times (out of 78) in the Surah, I think was a reminder to me that even though I was not aware of being consciously in denial of any known blessings (big or small) that Allah had bestowed upon me upon asking, acknowledgement of Allah’s favours upon us go far beyond this. Surely nor thanking Allah continuously, every day, in every moment possible for the everyday blessings that we often take for granted (i.e. for having a healthy body, being given the gift of Islam and Imaan, having clean water on tap, having a roof over our heads, having the privilege of being the Ummati of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, etc) was also subconsciously denying the favours of Allah?
for sharing with us and showing us an example of how Merciful Allah is to us!
